Parties and legal unions for all! — In the US, marriage is a legal, social, and often-religious union regulated by state laws and constructed socially by cultural and religious beliefs and practices that bind two people (generally one man and one woman in a committed, intimate relationship) together. State-sanctioned marriages confer legal and financial protections to the…

My husband and I have raised an awesome, well-behaved, successful daughter whom we love (kind of because we have to, right?) and, more importantly, whom we like. Raising kids is tough AF. Boundaries. Consistency. New boundaries. …

They Simply Do Not Exist in AnneLand — Guns simply do not exist in AnneLand. Citizens are unaware that they have ever existed and thus neither expect a right to own or use them nor do they miss them in their absence. If one were to come into existence in part or whole, it would vanish instantly Rationale: Guns are used for three main purposes…

Call me woefully ignorant. You’d be wrong. — A friend of mine recently said something to the effect that everyone needs to be reading all the time about what politicians are doing in order for us to be an educated public that can vote responsibly. Discussion ensued within the group about irresponsible idiots (my word, not hers, but…

See good. Do good. Feel good. — Oh, y’all, the current political and social milieu has me bereft of joy. I feel defeated, powerless, disillusioned, and disfranchised. Feeling these things makes me cranky, cynical, sarcastic, and bitchy toward others. It’s not pleasant for anyone. I’m writing my senators. I’m writing my representatives. I’m writing my state elected…

A Woman’s Right To Choose Is Ensured in AnneLand — Pregnancy termination (medically or surgically induced) will always be legal at any stage of pregnancy. Limiting women’s autonomy and civil rights is anathema to the guiding principles of AnneLand. A woman’s decision regarding reproduction is hers alone to make. Medications and surgical procedures will be covered by public healthcare (as…

Cognition is lazy. Media are ubiquitous. Purposeful counter-attitudinal thinking is the solution. — As media have proliferated and social media have become a ubiquitous part of our lives, it has become easy to seek out information, news, and opinions that reinforce what we already know and think. It’s natural — cognitive psychology practically requires it. Our brains want to take the easy way…

Fun Facts about Periods and Pregnancy — If you’ve never had a period or been pregnant (or even if you have), you might be surprised to learn some of these fun facts about menstruation and pregnancy. [NB: By “fun facts” I mean basic human biology knowledge that is not particularly fun at all.] Specifically, it’s very easy…

Let’s stop confusing health care and health insurance. They are two completely different things. Seriously. Stop it. Insurance, by definition, is a contract (a “policy”) by which one entity (the “insured”) pays a known sum of money (a “premium”) in the present to another entity (the “insurer”) to cover unknown…